A 2027 presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has raised concerns over alleged malpractices in the party’s ongoing presidential primaries.
Hayatu-Deen made the allegation on Monday after participating in the exercise in Borno State, where he said the process in his own ward was peaceful and satisfactory.
However, he claimed that reports from other parts of the country showed disturbing irregularities that could damage the credibility of the party’s internal election.
According to him, some persons had been calling and pressuring him to step down for another aspirant, despite being duly cleared by the party to contest.
Hayatu-Deen said the ADC had officially cleared him, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to participate in the presidential primaries.
“This should be a free, fair and transparent election. Anybody capable of contesting any office has the right to present himself for service,” he said.
He alleged that in Kaduna State, some party faithful were told that a consensus had been reached and that he had stepped down, a claim he strongly rejected.
He also claimed that in Zaria, where he said he had many supporters, voting had not taken place as of 5 p.m., describing the situation as an attempt to deny people their rights.
“This act is criminal and fraudulent. We are not prepared to tolerate this criminality, and we are going to fight it to the end,” he stated.
Hayatu-Deen further alleged that in Southern Borno, voters turned out peacefully, but electoral officers failed to properly fill result sheets in the presence of voters before allegedly moving away to complete them privately.
The allegations come as the ADC conducts its presidential primaries amid growing national attention on opposition parties and their preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Hayatu-Deen called on ADC leaders to investigate the complaints and protect the image of the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
